Fake Singapore Job Traps AP Youths in Myanmar Cyber Scam

Vijayawada: Two youths from Andhra Pradesh, who were lured with fake job offers in Singapore through a social media advertisement, were allegedly trafficked to Cambodia and later shifted to Myanmar, where they were forced to commit cyber crimes and subjected to severe torture.

The victims, identified as Sai Baba, a native of Guntur district, and Poorna Venkata Krishna, a native of Krishna district, applied for jobs abroad after seeing the advertisement on social media. They left Vijayawada on April 2 after being informed that they had found work in Singapore.

However, the recruitment agents allegedly took them to Cambodia instead of Singapore. After spending about two months there, they realized they were being forced into cyber fraud operations. They were later shifted from Cambodia to Myanmar.

One of the victims managed to contact a friend over phone, who arranged a conference call with representatives of the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Community (APNRT). During the meeting, the victims described the torture allegedly inflicted on them by the cybercrime gang.

They said the gang took their passports and other documents, locked them in rooms and attacked them when they refused to take part in cybercrime. They claimed that they were electrocuted, locked in dark rooms, denied food, and that some victims were also subjected to sexual assault.

According to the victims, although a few people managed to escape, the gang took away 18 people, including Poorna Venkata Krishna. They also alleged that the gang demanded Rs. 15 lakh from each victim for their release.

Friends of the victims filed an online complaint with the State Department on July 17 and later filed another complaint with APNRT on July 22. APNRT representatives assured them that efforts would be made to bring the stranded youth back to India safely.

On Saturday night, Sai Baba’s sister and father, along with Poorna Venkata Krishna’s brother, met CI Veerendra at Thadepalli Police Station and submitted details of the incident, seeking immediate intervention to save the victims.